If you are pure of heart
by nabette
Summary: After Gokudera reads an interesting article in "The Wonders and Mysteries of the World" he somehow convinces Reborn to allow them to go on a camping trip. Tsuna isn't all that happy about it and freezes a lot. Ghost story; pre-5927


**If you are pure of heart**

Tsuna scoots closer to the fire, but still carefully keeps a safe distance to avoid setting his shoelaces alight, or any other part of his clothing, body or the blanket he's currently huddled under for that matter. His face is already uncomfortably warm, it will get unbearable soon, yet his back is freezing - even under said blanket and the slightly too large jacket he's wearing.

They are currently in the middle of a forest, on a clearing just large enough to stop them from setting any trees on fire with their only real source of heat. It is already late autumn. The forest floor is damp, the weather cold and windy, making the temperature seem to be even lower than it actually is.

Sometimes Tsuna wonders how he even gets into situations like this. Well, this time he knows, but still. There should be a limit to crazy, mad things happening in one single lifespan of a normal average fifteen (no, now sixteen, he keeps on forgetting his own birthday) years old student. Then he remembers that not only is his life definitely not anything he can call 'normal' without plainly lying, but neither is he himself. Being a future mafia boss and all does that to you.

The wind turns and he has to move out of the smoke of their bonfire. Again. Just as the stone he's been sitting on started to get warm. He considers taking it with him for a moment, but it looks far too heavy. Furthermore he would have to take his hands out of his blanket cocoon. They were just starting to stop feeling numb from the cold, so he really couldn't risk that. If he had to stand up anyway, he could also go fetch his isolating mat. (And he probably should have thought of that sooner.)

They are camping. That in itself isn't too bad, it should even be fun. But it's already late autumn and it is cold. Tsuna can think of more enjoyable activities than freezing to death somewhere in a forest.

He ducks inside one of the tents, the largest one he's sharing with Yamamoto and Gokudera. He misses the warmth of the fire immediately, so he tries moving a bit faster to get warm as well as get back quicker. Dragging his mat out, he decides to take along a second blanket. It's Yamamoto's but Tsuna doubts he'll miss it right now and they fortunately brought enough of them to make sure even if everyone took one, there were still some left. Hurrying back, he wraps it tightly around him, also covering his head with it. He really should not have forgotten about bringing his earmuffs or some kind of cap, even if it was almost impossible to fit one over his mob of hair.

A week ago Gokudera had come to them overly excited about this article he had read about. Tsuna had known to be suspicious when he had shown them his favorite magazine 'The Wonders and Mysteries of the World'. Yet Gokudera had actually been able to convince Reborn to go along with it and Tsuna had been confronted with the possibility of nearly one week without any crazy, deathly training exercises and that was really nothing he could refuse while being in his right mind. (Also, when Gokudera had looked at him, Tsuna had been convinced that he wouldn't be able to say no to anything Gokudera would ask of him while looking like that. So maybe he hadn't been in his right mind after all.)

Their only problem had been that the only tent they had was Tsuna's old one which his mum had somehow managed to produce out of the mess out of all shapes and sizes of boxes that made up their basement. Though it was only a children's tent, far too small for either of them yet alone both of them at the same time. Tsuna had used it a couple of times for the adventure of camping in their own garden when he had been small enough to still fit in it. So in search of another one they had - after some grumbling and complaining from Gokudera - asked Yamamoto who also never had been camping before, but had definitely wanted to come with them.

Luckily, when Gokudera had loudly proclaimed Yamamoto's complete uselessness at lunch break, Kyoko had overheard (Tsuna guessed it would have been really hard not to) and offered to ask Haru who often went hiking with her father and Kyoko herself had even been invited to come with them in the last holidays, so there probably shouldn't be a problem to borrow the two tents they possessed. That way they ended up more tag-alongs as Haru insisted on her and Kyoko joining them and refusing would have been just too impolite after being genially allowed to use the two large tents which are standing now on opposite sides of the bonfire. The group grew even larger when Tsuna's mum informed him that they couldn't leave the children behind and as usual baby-sitter Tsuna had to take his old little tent as well as Lambo and I-Pin with them. Reborn suggested to also ask Mukuro and Hibari to make it a real Vongola Famiglia event, but Tsuna really doesn't have a death wish, however it may appear at first sight. (They actually had wanted to ask Ryohei, but he currently is at a training camp of their boxing club.)

Tsuna shifts, pulls his legs closer to wrap his arms around them and rest his head on his knees. He can hear Lambo's loud laughter over the wind. He, I-Pin and Yamamoto are currently playing tag not too far away (which was definitely better than throw-the-ball or hide-and-seek, as the first was just plainly deadly with Yamamoto around, the second one was no option either when Tsuna had to consider the possibility of losing one of them in the woods and never fining them again). Tsuna is far too tired to join them. Reborn had woken him early for one last morning practice before one week of Tsuna's first real holiday in quite a while. As 'morning' was in Reborn's opinion apparently 'middle of the night as long as it's after midnight' Tsuna hadn't had much sleep.

Haru and Kyoko told him they were going for a walk to explore the forest around them a bit and haven't returned yet. He declined when they asked him to come with them. It is a bit strange sometimes. Tsuna is really happy for them that they got along so well, but when they want him to spend time with them he often feels like he is intruding, like he doesn't fit in their conversations even though he knows they try to integrate him, that they also like having him around. And even though Haru can be a bit overwhelming at times, he really enjoys spending time with them too. Tsuna wonders when speaking with Kyoko, knowing that she acknowledges and even cares about him stopped being something that makes his heart beat faster; that he now can shake his head at her when she smiles at him and doesn't feel any regret at not spending every possible moment in her presence. Not a week ago, Tsuna had daydreamed about sitting in front of such a bonfire with Kyoko, sharing a blanket, warmth, smiles and maybe even some kisses or touches (here he had gone brightly red and Reborn had actually offered him to shoot him with a dying-will bullet again should he be too cowardly to make a move himself), but now while the prospect of those kisses and touches still hasn't lost his appeal, the thought of kissing Kyoko somehow isn't as breathtaking anymore. Even fantasizing about it doesn't really feel right and Tsuna doesn't know what to think about that.

Before he can ponder over that too deeply, he gets thrown out of his thoughts by an approaching Gokudera whose steps falter a bit when he notices his blank look, so Tsuna quickly slaps a smile onto his face. Gokudera lights up at once, grinning back and Tsuna finds his smile doesn't feel all that strained after all.

"Tenth! I just took care of our supplies," Gokudera plops down next to him and Tsuna shifts to make room on his isolating mat and offers his second blanket, making Gokudera splutter and decline in the process. Tsuna's kind of glad not to lose any of his isolation against the cold, but feels bad as he realizes that Gokudera is actually trying to subtly get even closer to the fire and actively stop shivering which he doesn't really manage well. So he shrugs away his outer layer - "No, really Tenth, you don't need to - I'm not feeling cold at all!" - and insists on Gokudera taking the blanket. Tsuna can see him struggle for a moment before he accepts it and pulls it tightly around himself. Then he suddenly jumps up, jogs over to the largest tent and returns a moment later to throw another blanket over Tsuna's form. It kind of contradicts the whole purpose of giving his blanket away so Gokudera doesn't have to stand up to fetch his own, but as Gokudera is grinning openly proud and happy at him, Tsuna can't really bring himself to point that out. He also feels a bit warmer already.

"So... The supplies?" he prompts instead, adjusting the cloth over his head to make sure the tips of his ears stay warm, now that they aren't in danger of braking off when touched anymore, splitting like thin shards of ice.

"Yes. I put most of them in the girls' tent as they have the most room left. The marshmallows and other sweets are safely hidden from that cow brat and then meat is properly hung up."

"Hung up?" Tsuna asked, because he could see why you needed to hide the sweets but food dangling down from tree branches was a rather foreign prospect for him.

"I just tied it to the tree behind our tent. I read it's the only way to make sure it doesn't get eaten by bears or other wild animals," Gokudera smiled encouraging at Tsuna who was more or less freaking out at the thought of bears searching through their tents for something to eat and then deciding to eat him. Therefore his inquired "Bears?!" sounds rather like a squeak even to himself.

"There aren't really any around! Don't worry, Tenth! I just thought - it makes it feel more like a real camping trip, right?" Tsuna is still caught up about the other wild animals bit, so his smile is probably a bit watery. He knows this is most likely his own fault for telling Gokudera that he had never really been camping before - if you didn't count those times he spend the night in their backyard, telling his toys ghost stories and not getting enough sleep because of nightmares about said stories - and this was only Gokudera trying his best at making this the best camping trip they ever had. Tsuna also suspected that Gokudera himself had most of his knowledge out of previously done research instead of own experience. Which is also the reason for the marshmallows. Gokudera himself is usual not someone to really enjoy such sweets, but as Haru put it, "You just couldn't make a bonfire without eating some marshmallows".

They both watch the fire for a moment when just smiling at each other without actually speaking gets too weird.

"...Where is everyone anyway?" Tsuna can tell that Gokudera doesn't really care, yet merely searches for something to talk about.

"Kyoko and Haru went for a walk and Yamamoto, Lambo and I-Pin are probably still playing tag not too far away."

"They all left you alone?!" Only Gokudera can sound so angry about Tsuna being left behind and happy about having Tsuna's company all to himself for once at the same time. It makes Tsuna smile while explaining that he actually told them that he didn't want to come along, but stay here.

"You're not feeling sick, are you Tenth?" Tsuna shakes his head quickly to stop Gokudera from jumping up again to get a thermometer or something. He wouldn't put it past him - or his mother for that matter - to have packed one for emergencies; not that it actually would help all that much if really someone would fall sick.

"I'm just tired," he even has to yawn which emphasizes his point.

"Maybe you should get some sleep now. Then you'll feel better at midnight. We'll have to look for that ghost after all." Tsuna shivers at the reminder and then has to convince Gokudera that he should keep the blanket, that he really doesn't need a third one for himself.

That was the reason for their trip after all; that ghost Gokudera had read about.

He had told him and Reborn about that so-called 'Fortune Ghost' that is told to haunt old forests and supposed to tell travelers about their future if they are 'pure of heart'. Gokudera naturally had thought of the Tenth and while Tsuna had felt kind of flattered he had also known that he really had no desire to see anything of that ghost even if it could tell him the correct lottery numbers for the next ten drawings. He still has quite enough of ghosts since that last cemetery incident. Reborn had unsurprisingly been all for it, as everything that terrifies Tsuna is usually something Reborn approves of. He said something along the lines of it being good for any mafia boss to know what the future held for them to be able to change it in case it was something bad. Tsuna can see the logic behind it, but still would have rather read his horoscope or eaten some fortune cookies instead of searching out some ghost. Then Reborn had informed them that he wouldn't go with them. After all the Fortune Ghost only appears to those who are 'pure of heart', so if he was there it definitely wouldn't go near them. He'd said that with that creepy smile and tilt of head of his which always manages to make Tsuna's blood run cold. Reborn not accompanying them made everything somehow better and worse at the same time.

Yamamoto expectedly had thought it was a great, funny game, Haru had told him she would protect him if the ghost tried to eat him alive, Kyoko smiled and just said that she'd never went camping with friends like this before, so she wanted to come. Tsuna has the suspicion that Lambo had convinced I-Pin to try to capture the ghost with him together, but hopes he'll forget about his plan as soon as it gets dark and he gets sleepy. If they are lucky, the whole article will turn out as a fake and they won't ever see anything like a Fortune Ghost. Though Tsuna knows from experience that if there is something that he really doesn't want to happen, it usually does happen.

He really asks himself why he had gone along with it. Oh yeah, Reborn. That one name is the reason for nearly all weird or possibly dangerous things happening in his life nowadays. Though he isn't the reason why he even kind of had looked forward to their little trip (aside from the lack of training for one week which really is something to be happy about, though it still can't compensate for a ghost).

When there is a cushion tucked under his head and another blanket drawn around him in a way he can lie just far enough from the fire without setting himself alight while turning in his sleep, Tsuna remembers that maybe that had been all Gokudera's fault.

* * *

Tsuna wakes up to laughter and screaming; loud screaming which is probably the reason for him waking up in at all. The first thing he can actually understand over all the noise is Gokudera shouting, "You stupid cow! You'll wake up the Tenth!" followed by Haru's equally high volume reply, "Stop screaming at poor Lambo! You're even louder than him!". Then he can hear them bicker about who disturbs his sleep more, forgetting all about Lambo. Tsuna rolls his eyes behind his eyelids, but can't really bring himself to be too annoyed. He slowly blinks them open, though he knows even before that he's facing away from the fire, as his face doesn't feel all that warm, but his back does. It's probably for the better. It has already gotten dark, which still doesn't tell him much about the time as night sets earlier every day. His eyes adjust easily, he only has to blink for a while against the light of the fire after he turns around.

He slowly sits up and is promptly offered a dumpling by I-Pin who sits next to him and whom he hadn't noticed yet as she seems to have quietly watched over him. Tsuna thanked her for the food as well as for looking out for him not rolling into the fire in his sleep, though he notices a barrier of stones lining between him and the fire to further avoid that happening. Those have probably been Gokudera's idea. And looking behind him, the small stonewall carries on around him even on the side facing away from the fire, so Lambo has most likely also had a hand in this.

I-Pin begins telling him about the way she won at their game of tag most of the time and about some strange mushrooms Haru and Kyoko showed them, but told them not to touch - which is probably for the better, Tsuna thinks. They also saw a pigeon, a hawk and a crane, all a bit strange in Tsuna's book, but he doesn't know all that much about birds. Maybe they had escaped from a zoo? Or maybe they had just been mistaken. More importantly though in her opinion is that they even had a competition over who can catch the most leaves falling down, which, I-Pin proudly beams at him, she won as well.

On the other side of the fire, which by now isn't all that large anymore, Yamamoto puts some more dry branches in it and pokes at the wood with a stick from time to time. Besides him is Kyoko who pushes marshmallows on a sharpened stick of her own and lets them melt over the heat of the crackling flames. Lambo now is with her and gets to eat the marshmallows when they're finished. Tsuna hopes Kyoko doesn't let him have too many or they'll never hear the end of his complains about his stomach aches. Lambo is still at the age where you don't believe that you could actually get sick from too much sweets, even if it happens to him more often than not.

Gokudera and Haru have just now realized that he's actually quite awake, so they're rushing over. Tsuna is glad I-Pin has just finished her tale about the little river not too far away or she would get rudely interrupted now.

"Look! You woke up Tsuna-san because you couldn't be quiet for once! Haru will not forgive you!"

"Insufferable women! Tenth! I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Tsuna-san! I'm so sorry you couldn't get enough rest! It's not my fault, is it?"

He really can't let either of them down and anyway, Tsuna can't even remember who exactly woke him up, so he takes the easy way out. "I - I just woke up on my own..." It doesn't make everything completely alright, but at least they aren't shouting at each other anymore only glaring a bit over his head.

When Haru sits down next to him and takes I-Pin onto her lap, now getting told the story about the way I-Pin beat Lambo at playing tag over and over again, Gokudera goes back around the fire to snatch a package of marshmallows and some small branches that already have pointed ends. Tsuna watches him grumble at Yamamoto that he took his stick to poke around in the fire, but after he only gets some laughter in return, he picks up another one and returns. He plops down on Tsuna's other side, hands him one of those pieces of wood and shows him how to heat the marshmallows properly. It's really not all that complicated, but Tsuna listens on anyway, amused at Gokudera's overly complicated explanations. After he finishes, he passes Tsuna the marshmallows and also gives I-Pin and even Haru each one of the pointy sticks he brought with him. Haru accepts the piece offering even though she's still a bit miffed, but Tsuna smiles wholeheartedly because this is so much more than Gokudera would have done only two months ago.

They all listen to I-Pin's tales about things like cooking with Bianchi (though Gokudera has to stop eating here), doing the laundry with Maman and beating Lambo at any kind of game that comes to her mind. It's far more peaceful than usually, even when they have to cover as a grenade gets thrown - and luckily lands in a way that nobody is injured and nothing gets damaged. Even though Tsuna still tries to keep as much as possible from Kyoko and Haru, neither one even bats an eye at it, Kyoko only lectures Lambo about being more careful and fighting such silly quarrels with words instead of weapons. Tsuna can't help but think it's already a lost cause, but wishes for those speeches to work someday anyway.

The marshmallows taste better than he can ever remember marshmallows tasting. Tsuna really hopes that ghost would never show up.

Naturally that's when it all starts to go downhill.

When he notices it isn't because the mood or the temperature suddenly dropped. The noise doesn't stop either; the fire still cracks from time to time and everyone chatters on, Kyoko and Haru successfully stopping the argument between Lambo and I-Pin from evolving into an all out food fight. Yamamoto now sits between Haru and Tsuna - carefully out of Gokudera's reach to poke him with his marshmallow stick - and tells them about the new sushi recipe his father tried out last week. There are no flashes of light or power or anything that would hint at the supernatural. No, he only notices because he looks up and there is a figure approaching, Lambo being the first to actually spot the newcomer.

"Maman!"

There she really is. Tsuna can see his mother standing next to the girls' tent, looking at them. Though something is off.

Her facial expression, the way she holds herself, it all just feels somehow wrong to him. Tensing up even more, Tsuna realizes he's actually glad that Lambo hasn't yet run over to her to greet her like he usually does. He watches Kyoko's hold around the boy tighten and Tsuna suddenly is quite aware that he isn't the only one to be caught up in this strange mood. Haru shifts a bit to shield I-Pin who clutches another one of her dumplings protectively as if she isn't exactly sure if there is any reason to have to defend herself. Gokudera has one hand already on his lighter while the other one hides four small explosives behind his back; Yamamoto looks more like holding his sword than a marshmallow stick. Tsuna also knows that Kyoko wouldn't really be able to stop Lambo from running over if he really wanted to. They all have learned to be more careful about things feeling wrong as the possibility of it being an illusion isn't all that unlikely when dealing with the mafia.

All these considerations take Tsuna only a couple of seconds, so when Gokudera speaks, no one has been able to even take a step forward yet.

"You're not really Sawada-san."

"You are right. This is only a form I have taken on. It is best to chose someone everyone of you feels comfortable around after all." Tsuna begs to differ; nothing is comforting about hearing his mother speak like that. He obviously isn't the only one to think so.

"So you're that ghost we're looking for!" Yamamoto grins and everybody automatically relaxes a bit, though they are still alert. Tsuna's mother - the ghost - only nods.

"But," Lambo cries, eyes wide at the ghost from between Kyoko's arms, "I can't even see through Maman!"

"Just because she appears solid doesn't mean she - I mean the ghost actually is! And that's not the Tenths' mother!" Tsuna thinks snapping at Lambo is already some kind of reflex for Gokudera. The "stupid cow" follows more like an afterthought, like he doesn't really mean it.

"Now quit being mean to Lambo, Gokudera-san! It's not like things like ghosts are easy to understand!" Gokudera grumbles something Haru fortunately doesn't catch while Lambo inquires an awed, "I want to know if I can push my arm through her," eyes round and his face showing his usual pondering expression.

"Haha, I don't think that is something she would like you to try."

"When will you all comprehend that that's not actually the Tenth's mother! It possibly isn't even a woman, you idiots!"

Tsuna watches the ghost wonders when it will get too annoyed at their quarrellings and strike them all down to eat their innards or do something equally horrifying. The form of his mum stands there unmoving, though, watching them patiently and seemingly neutral as if it was waiting for them to finish with their silly behavior and pay attention again. Seeing her - it, whatever - like that is definitely not something Tsuna would ever call comforting. If it would be a completely foreign person, it would probably not make him feel this bad.

When it does get quiet again it speaks with a flat, emotionless version of his mother's voice, "Why have you come looking for me?" Tsuna kind of wants to point out that they haven't really searched for it yet, but keeps his mouth shut.

"We would like for you to tell the Tenth his fortune." Gokudera suddenly speaks far more polite though can also hear his thinly veiled excitement which somehow makes the whole situation seem not all that bad suddenly. Tsuna recalls Gokudera telling them that they shouldn't have anything to fear from this Fortune Ghost as it was labeled as 'kind and helpful to mortals' in his magazine. It hadn't really convinced Tsuna then, but right now he felt a bit more reassured. "He's the best person I know," Gokudera carries on, "and will be a great tenth boss of the Vongola Famiglia. If there's anyone who deserves you're help, it's him!"

Tsuna feels himself blush. Whatever happened to 'no-good Tsuna'? It still amazes him that Gokudera can speak so highly of him sounding like he's completely sincere, like he actually believes what he's talking about. Tsuna waits for the others to laugh at him, but they just wait for the ghost's reaction as if they too think what's been said is true. Even after their battle against the Varia, after all the time that has passed fighting against assassins trying to kill him and rip the guardians apart he still can't quite grasp the trust they place on him. He never wants to let his friends down, but being no-good Tsuna, he fears he one day will.

"Then I'll meet you again tomorrow for the completion of the tasks." Tsuna can barely hear the ghost over the noise of his own blood rushing in his ears and can't help the startled "Tasks?!" escaping his lips.

"It didn't say anything about any tasks!" Yamamoto chimes in while Haru next to him nods and looks accusingly at the ghost, daring him to object.

"But how do you think I should be able to confirm if he really is pure of heart and therefore worthy of knowing his fortune?"

There's not really anything they can answer to that and Tsuna waits for the ghost to disappear in a bright light or dissolve into thin air, but the ghost just walks back into the forest like every normal person would. Gokudera is quick to jump up and throw a heartfelt declaration of "The Tenth will master whatever challenge you'll tell him to complete!" after the retreating figure of Tsuna's mother. Tsuna himself isn't too sure about that while around him the last strings of tension snap and everyone goes back to their usual behavior, Gokudera telling him that there is just no way that he would fail at whatever silly things he would be asked to do. As the ghost disappears between the trees completely, the last of Tsuna's feeling that everything wouldn't turn out that bad vanishes, too.

* * *

That night Tsuna dreams about a swallow in a birdcage that hangs down from a silver branch. Even in his sleep his wonders what is actually up with all the birds today, before he gets woken up suddenly by a dark figure looming over him. Tsuna nearly screams out in terror, but the small hand on his face tells him it is only Lambo and after a moment he can even make out his teary-eyed face. Alerted, he is suddenly wide awake.

"Lambo? Lambo, what happened?" Tsuna hastily sits up and pulls Lambo closer. I-Pin is also in their tent he notices now, just crouching uncertain and clearly distressed, too, between him and Yamamoto. While rubbing small soothing circles on the hiccuping boy, he holds his other hand out to her. Taking it, she lets herself be settled next to Lambo and snuggles against Tsuna's arm around her. "Nightmare," she whispers to him. Tsuna only nods.

"There w-was a s-skull and it had glow-glowing eyes and s-sand, sand came out of i-its mouth. And blood. Lots of blood. E-everywhere," Lambo's voice trembles along with the boy himself and is barely above a whisper, just loud enough to make out the words.

"Shh, Lambo. It was just a dream," Tsuna carefully rocks back and forth like he remembers his mother doing whenever he couldn't sleep, trying to speak as soothingly as he can, "It was just a dream. Nothing will come to hurt you here." It feels a bit awkward, yet he hopes it will calm both of them nonetheless.

"Lambo-san isn't afraid..." It really doesn't sound all that convincing. Tsuna indulges him anyway, "I know, Lambo. You're really really brave. I-Pin, you're as well," he adds, smiling down at her. He gets a firm nod in return, he can feel her head moving against his arm.

"You can stay here if you want to," he tries to sound like stating a simple fact instead of actually asking a question. He knows Lambo will most likely answer to any question asked with a 'no', more often out of reflex than anything else. Now he can feel both of them nodding. Lambo doesn't shiver as much anymore, though Tsuna knows both of them would start freezing pretty soon. He tries searching for another blanket without disturbing them too much. Lambo's breath has already evened out and he's sleeping peacefully once again. That was fast in Tsuna's opinion; Lambo really has to be pretty exhausted. Feeling around in hope of finding something to keep them warm without waking Lambo up again is rather hard and Tsuna accidentally ends up knocking someone in the face along the way, successfully waking Yamamoto up instead of Lambo. It says something about Yamamoto's increasing training when the first thing he does is reach for his sword. He calms down before actually slicing their borrowed tent to bits though.

"Tsuna?"

"Yeah?"

"Do we have to get up yet?"

Tsuna sighs, "No. We really should sleep."

"What's going on?"

"Nightmare. You wouldn't have another blanket lying around somewhere near you?"

"Oh. When I had a nightmare when I was younger I always told everything BBB-Bob. After that I could sleep again. And if not I would go downstairs and steal some leftovers out of the refrigerator. Food also calms down." Tsuna can hear Yamamoto rummaging. Shifting Lambo a bit to stop his arm from going numb, he tries tugging the blanket they have closer around them. It isn't very thick, but they just don't fit all into his sleeping back without someone being cold.

To refrain falling asleep himself he asks, "BB-Bob?"

"BBB-Bob," Yamamoto tells him happily, " It's short for Baseball-Bear Bob. He used to be my favorite stuffed animal. He had a cap, mitten and even a tiny ball." Yamamoto laughs softly and I-Pin relaxes further. Tsuna can tell their simple conversation makes her slowly lose the last bits of fear.

"You do realize that no one really cares for stupid old bears? Yet alone baseball bears. How idiotic do you have to be to also name it Bob? A name can't get any more stupid." So Gokudera is awake now too. At least he hasn't tried to blow their tent up, though Tsuna supposes that really are two bars of dynamite in his hand. Lambo shifts.

"I think we really have to be a bit quieter or Lambo will wake up again."

"What did the stupid cow do this time?"

"Nightmare," Tsuna mutters.

It is quiet again for a while, the only sounds are Lambo's by now soft snoring and Yamamoto still shuffling around in search for a blanket. Tsuna is nearly asleep himself again when he hears Yamamoto say, "Here you go, I-Pin," and her happily thanking him for it. Then there gets another large piece of cloth thrown at him from the other side, which he hasn't quite expected.

"The idiot can have mine. I don't need it."

"Thanks, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna smiles. He isn't sure if Gokudera can see it.

His storm guardian only grumbles, "You shouldn't have to freeze just because he forgot to bring his own blanket, Tenth," and adds a lot more friendly, "Good night and sleep well, Tenth!" Then he turns away. His breath comes even now, but Tsuna knows that Gokudera isn't really asleep yet.

"Good night," comes from his other side now too and Tsuna echoes it quickly.

He's far too tired to think much about anything. When he has the blanket pulled around Lambo in a way he won't lose it just by turning once and finally closes his eyes, Tsuna is nearly instantly falling into a deep sleep. He doesn't even remember about his own dream anymore.

The next morning when Tsuna wakes up, I-Pin is lying cushioned on Yamamoto's chest while Lambo managed to roll over to Gokudera who actually right now has his arms wrapped around him. Tsuna suppresses the laughter bubbling up inside his throat. There will be hell, it doesn't even matter who of them will wake up first. Right now Tsuna thinks they make a really peaceful picture anyway. Though with both I-Pin and Lambo away and as his blanket has somehow migrated to the other side of the tent (it was lying somewhere behind Yamamoto) Tsuna's own feet are rather cold now. He tries to look for his socks without waking any of them up.

* * *

When they are finally finished with washing up after breakfast, because this time there has been no way of avoiding the food fight, it isn't too long until the ghost appears again, just like it said it would. Kyoko is teaching them a card game she and her brother used to play and they get interrupted just as Tsuna loses for the fifth time. Gokudera is trying to explain him about calculating the possibilities of the best card combinations and Tsuna is like usually lost three words into Gokudera's excited rambling, though he still listens on and at least looks like he's paying attention. For all his exact analysis Gokudera has yet to win a single game either. Kyoko, who just won again, tries to cheer them up with a smile and offers to show them some more strategies she herself uses, while Haru tells them, "You know how they say, lucky in love, unlucky at cards. So you must be really lucky, Tsuna-san!" which only manages to make Tsuna blush in embarrassment.

"Well, I could tell you about your future love life, if you prove to be worthy and really want me to," sounds his mothers emotionless voice suddenly behind him. Spinning around on his isolating mat, Tsuna looks up to the ghost that is standing a bit too close to him for comfort without him noticing it approaching prior.

"Uhm...," is the only reply he can think of while awkwardly scrambling to his feet. Behind him, the others are standing up as well. The cards are left lying scattered around, some of them getting picked up by the wind and carried half a meter before dropping to the ground again. No one pays them any mind.

"If you're ready, we may start with your first task. Mind that you can still decide you don't want to be judged, yet when the first conquest is started, all of them have to be fulfilled."

"The Tenth is always prepared for everything! There's no way he'll be intimidated by your speech!" There is it again; Gokudera speaks about him like he actually knows he can do it, like he hasn't even the tiniest bit of doubt. Though Tsuna can also hear the excitement in his voice. After all Tsuna knows how obsessed Gokudera gets about anything supernatural. He absentmindedly feels himself nodding, though he really doesn't understand why he did that. Somehow the thinking part of his brain just got cut off of the part being in charge of coordination and movement. This would have been the perfect moment for backing out and he managed to miss it, even somehow giving his okay to this whole thing.

In a daze he follows the ghost with the others, deeper into the forest and further away from their little camp. Yamamoto seems to have remembered about putting out the fire at least. Tsuna's brain still doesn't feel like it is up to functioning properly again yet, his feet are nearly moving on their own accord. Well, he keeps telling himself, this is what they have come for anyway.

They walk for a couple of minutes in silence, but as Lambo can never keep quiet for long and their group doesn't even let themselves intimidated by strange ghosts who take on the form of the mother of one of them, the air around them is soon filled with chatter, some screams and laughter. Though they all are still rather tense for obvious reasons, which is easy to tell from their postures and voices. Everyone is being by far not as loud as usual, even Lambo doesn't dare to run around too much. Though Tsuna can see him staring at the back of the ghost in front of them and how Yamamoto always manages to put himself in his line of sight capturing his attention when the staring goes on a bit too long. The tension (along with Yamamoto) is probably what stops Lambo from doing something stupid and there fortunately haven't been any flying explosives yet as well.

After more walking which feels longer to Tsuna than it most likely actually is, they arrive at another clearing, not all that differently looking from the one they use for their camp. Tsuna thinks his ears will probably fall off from the cold soon, he has to bite his teeth together to keep them from clattering. He pushes his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket, burying his fingers under his X-gloves that Reborn has forbidden him from ever leaving behind when going outside (or even staying inside his own house for that matter). Because of the threat of horrible pain - both physically and mentally Reborn has promised - he was forced to always carry them with him, though he usually didn't wear them. Though he knows they are only to protect himself, himself and his family, wearing them around normal people in fear of getting attacked every moment isn't at all comforting to Tsuna. Therefore he carries them in his pockets to make sure that if he really needs them he can quickly slip his hands into them. Which Reborn tells him is still far too slow if they are really necessary (while twisting his arm back and kicking him repeatedly), but Reborn isn't here right now.

Their breaths condensate in the cold air around them, efficiently showing that the ghost really did not breathe at all. It plainly freaks Tsuna out though he has already guessed as much; being shown he's been actually right was something completely different than just absentmindedly pondering about it after all. Trying to distract himself from his mother standing in front of him not breathing, he wrenches his eyes away and a bit frantically searches for something to catch his attention, forgetting all about wanting to ask why they have stopped in the first place.

The girls have moved closer together to keep a bit of their warmth, while Yamamoto is still entertaining Lambo and Gokudera tries to look like he isn't paying any attention to them, but Tsuna can see him roll his eyes at their silly conversation as well as biting his lip in a way indicating him trying not to make a comment himself because he isn't listening at all. All of them keep track of what the ghost is doing out of the corner of their eyes, just like Tsuna does though he really tries not to think about it. Gokudera puts a new cigarette between his lips, lighting it after making sure his old one is completely out and wet enough by the soggy forest floor to avoid anything getting burned because of it. He's pocketing his lighter again when he notices Tsuna is currently standing a bit on the side without talking to anyone. Grinning brightly he takes two steps in his direction and Tsuna can't help but smile back, the stiffness in his shoulders easing a bit.

"Tenth! What do you think that ghost will have you do?" he whispers, though Tsuna is sure the ghost can still understand every word they're saying. Yet he still whispers back, "I really don't know, Gokudera-kun. I hope it won't be too difficult."

"Don't worry, Tenth. It really won't be anything you can't do. As I said Fortune Ghosts aren't beings who wish to harm humans. And even if they would be, you would still beat it. You're our boss after all!"

Tsuna can only reply with a hesitant nod and a weak smile because after all this time of knowing Gokudera this still is a bit overwhelming and he has to avert his eyes because he somehow can't manage to get enough air into his lungs. Talking to the bush next to him proves to be somewhat easier, so the "Thank you, Gokudera-kun," can get through his throat and escape his mouth, though it gets transformed into a stuttered mess in the process. Gokudera seems to have understood nonetheless, because when Tsuna dares to take a peek at his face again he's grinning even wider, his eyes crinkling in joy. Before either of them can say anything else, the ghost obviously thinks it has kept them all waiting long enough and starts speaking again. Which is somehow even good in Tsuna's opinion as he is sure that he wouldn't be able to pronounce a single word properly right now if he tried to.

"Your first task awaits you now. If you would come over here, I'll explain what you will have to do."

Tsuna walks into the middle of the clearing. In front of him a large table stretches out which definitely had not been there when they arrived and Tsuna has been careful to take in all of his surroundings. On the white tablecloth lies a colorful assembly of all kinds of different objects, most of them weapons. Tsuna swallows dryly.

"Choose two of these to use during your following tasks. Though mind to do so wisely as these will be the only things you're allowed to bring with you." The ghost glances at Tsuna's pocket. Startled Tsuna clenches his hand around the glass holding his dying-will pills he carries around for emergencies, in case Reborn isn't with him; beneath his fingertips he can also feel the mitten of his X-gloves. He feels a bit like he did as a child when he tried to steel some of the chocolate he knew he wasn't supposed to eat before the mealtimes and got caught by his mother. Tsuna supposes that the ghost does look like her doesn't help. He pulls out both objects, and turns to give them to Gokudera who's still standing right next to him. Gokudera splutters for a moment, but then takes them, carefully putting the gloves and the small glass flask into his own pocket.

Swallowing again Tsuna takes a step closer to the table to have a better look at everything lying on it. His first impression was right. Most of it are some kind of weapons. There are a unnerving mass of different guns, in all kind of forms and sizes. Tsuna is a bit surprised that the table can even carry all of them as he wouldn't even be able to lift the one to his right and that wasn't even the largest one. A bit more to the left lie at least ten swords, each with a fitting shield to go with it. Yet there are some rather unexpected things. Tsuna can see all kinds of ropes, working tools and pieces of armor, yet scattered between are also a card deck, pencils, some branches that look like they just dropped down from one of the trees, shoes, books, and even hair clips, a pair of handcuffs and glasses.

Tsuna shivers not only from the cold when he walks a bit farther away from one of the more gruesome looking axes towards the end of the table with the more normal things assembled. He stops in front of a piece of black cloth, a coat Tsuna realizes. Just looking at it makes him realize how much he is actually freezing, so he reaches out for it carefully, keeping an eye on the ghost in case it would suddenly jump over and bite his hands off. That fortunately doesn't happen when Tsuna picks it up and throws it over his shoulders. The cloth is as soft as it seemed to be on first glance and he feels a lot warmer at once. Putting it on properly, Tsuna thinks it looks more like a large cape than a simple coat. It doesn't bother him though as long as it helps banishing the cold. It reminds him of dressing up as a super hero on Halloween once though.

Happy with his first pick, Tsuna moves on. He thinks about taking an actual weapon, but quickly casts the thought away. He wouldn't know how to use anything of those properly and would end up hurting himself in the process most likely. Furthermore Gokudera has repeatedly told him that the ghost wouldn't really want to harm him and though Tsuna doesn't trust that ghost the slightest bit, he trusts Gokudera. He knows Gokudera wouldn't tell him something like that if he wasn't sure about it being true. Because you can never know with the supernatural and no one can be absolutely certain about an article in 'The Wonders and Mysteries of the World', Tsuna decides to be careful anyway, but if it comes to the worst, he'll go along with a branch from the forest floor instead of one lying on this table. He just caught sight of the other object he wants to take by far more than any of the others still occupying space on the white cloth.

"So these are what you'll going to take for your following tasks?" the ghost asks upon his coming back to where the rest of the group stands under the trees. Tsuna nods pulling the earmuffs over his head. By the excited expression on Lambo's face Tsuna knows the large table just disappeared behind his back. (Well, only judging by the look it could as well have exploded, but there wasn't any burnt smell in the air and the sheer noise has missed as well for it to be true.)

While the ghost is still quiet, being busy disintegrating guns and hair products into nothingness probably, Haru declares with a bit color on her cheeks, "Tsuna-san looks really good in that cloak!" Tsuna is glad there aren't any wedding declarations any more every time they meet which is something else that has changed over the last couple of months. Kyoko stands next to her, nods and smiles at him as well. Tsuna waits for the butterflies going wild in his stomach, but they don't even bat their wings, not even being there at all. This change is still weird for him, something he has been so used to just not happening any more. His "Thanks," is still embarrassed, though not stuttered or incomprehensible like it once would have been.

Yamamoto thumps him on the back and tells him that they forgot their shouting circle they used to do before such tasks, but that he has known he would do it anyway. Then he gets yelled at by Gokudera for stealing his words. It's always amazing to Tsuna how quickly Gokudera's voice and facial expression can change when he looks from Yamamoto over to him. He gets a grin and another "I knew you could do it!" this time with a "Nice choices, Tenth," added to it.

"The ghost really isn't all that all-mighty. He didn't even have any bombs you could have picked." Tsuna knows that he wouldn't have chosen any if there would have been any to take, but keeps quiet.

"Well, you have to admit though Gokudera, there were some pretty interesting looking swords lying on that table," grins Yamamoto. That spins them into a discussion about what is the better weapon which really is a rather one-sided argument with Yamamoto making just the right comments to keep Gokudera ranting and cursing at him. Maybe one day Tsuna will have it in him to laugh at their antics, but that day has yet to come.

When I-Pin comes over and asks him to, he allows her to snug under his coat. It is by far large enough for both of them and when Lambo nearly succeeds in pulling Tsuna's earmuffs off his head (he only rips some of Tsuna's hair out in the progress), Tsuna placates him by letting him hide under the black cloth as well. By now Tsuna feels a bit like a tent himself, but he's laughing and not freezing anymore.

* * *

As it was, the ghost had wanted for them to have a break. Though in Tsuna's opinion standing around in the cold while waiting for it to do something wasn't all that refreshing.

"For your second task you will have to go alone. No one is allowed to accompany you," his mother's eyes shift from one face to another, only lingering on Lambo's for a bit longer, "You are going to search for something special and bring it back to the place you are currently having your quarters at."

Now Tsuna really wishes he would have paid more attention while walking here and not have blindly followed the ghost, too busy with making sure it didn't spin around the next moment to rip their heads off and sucking out their brains through their ears. "What do I have to look for?"

"It's a kind of fruit," when it doesn't seem to want to go on Tsuna opens his mouth to ask, but doesn't have to actually speak as it now carries on, "You'll know what it is you're trying to find when you see it." With that the ghost turns and walks back into the forest, waiting after a couple of meters when the others haven't followed it yet. Yamamoto pats him on the back again, Kyoko, Haru and Gokudera wish him good luck ("Not that you really need it, Tenth!") while Lambo and I-Pin untangle themselves from his coat. The little girl giving him a quick hug around the legs before all of them disappear between the trees after the ghost. Tsuna hopes they'll be okay.

Turning around, facing the clearing, where the table has stood not too long ago, and the deep forest on the other side of it, Tsuna hopes he'll be okay. Then he starts walking.

Tsuna starts out looking at every bush, every tree, anything that could carry any kind of fruit. The air around him is fresh, cold and damp and it isn't that bad, he thinks. It's quiet except for the rustling of the naked branches in the wind above him, his own heartbeat, his breathing and the squelching noises his shoes make while walking over damp ground and the colorful, crushed leaves covering it. After an hour of walking Tsuna starts doubting his optimism. After another two of them he starts cursing himself and that ghost. He's walking in circles. He has seen that giant tree for three times already. The first time he had been so impressed by it, that the memory had stuck. The second time he had been wondering about another such tree existing in the very same forest. The third time he has actually noticed what exactly is going on. The fourth time he is plainly annoyed.

When Tsuna comes across the same old tree for the fifth time he feels like screaming. His feet hurt. They are cold and wet and therefore feel even colder. Again he is really happy for the coat and the earmuffs, but after all this time out in the freezing wind, they slowly start to fail in their purpose. Tsuna started walking faster, even jogging some short distances to keep warm somehow, but now his feet hurt even more. Furthermore he was hungry. He hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was slowly starting to get dark again. He leans again the damn tree and thinks about going back. Then he remembers he probably won't find the way back and stumble around in circles for eternity or until he dies of dehydration. He looks up to see how far the sun has already set to at least try to guess the time when he sees the most wonderful thing since stepping into this part of the forest.

Far above his head on the tree he has seen four times today not counting right now, hangs a pear from one of the top branches. Squinting up, Tsuna wonders why he hasn't seen her before and how it had been able to grow even though all the leaves of the tree had already fallen down. But not only that is strange about the fruit. The pear itself looks a bit strange to Tsuna. For once is it larger than any pear he has ever seen before from what he can guess at just looking up at it from this distance. The color, a deep red reminding him a bit of spilled blood, also is not at all common for this kind of fruit as far as Tsuna is concerned. Therefore this clearly has to be what the ghost has been speaking of. The only problem Tsuna faces now is that the tree it's hanging on is rather high and he has no doubt that if he falls down, he'll definitely break his neck.

There's no reason why he shouldn't just give up. Turn around, try to find his way somehow back to the others and tell that ghost that he couldn't find anything. He would fail the test, but he had no real desire to know much about his fortune anyway. The hope he once had about somehow being able to avoid having anything to do with the mafia has been erased long ago. A tiny part of himself even accepts his fate, only wanting to keep everyone important to him safe and maybe even being able to change a bit about the way of the mafia - not that he still knows all that much about it. His future most likely contains an early death by the hand of some assassin they hadn't been quick enough to avoid. Tsuna rather doesn't want to be actually told, "You're fortune is to die young and very messily, though you are pure of heart, isn't that nice?". If that really would be happening in a few years he's happier not knowing about it.

Yet when he comes to his senses again he is already half-way up the tree, though he has not the simplest idea why his body is today so insisting on disobeying him. Maybe it's simply his stomach thinking for him right now. He keeps up climbing anyway. As he is already nearly on the top turning back would be just stupid. Though climbing deliberately takes a lot longer than doing it unconsciously, Tsuna notes. His feet keep on slipping because his shoes are by now sponges of all the water having been on the soggy leaves beforehand. He scratches his hands on some smaller branches repeatedly which is just his own clumsiness and his long black cloak often gets tangled up in them as well. It's the first time Tsuna wishes he had picked something different than the cloak. One of the ropes maybe. But then he probably wouldn't be here now instead lying somewhere nearly dead because of the cold.

When he stands on the last branch he trusts with carrying his weight, the pear is barely in his reach. He just has to stretch a bit farther than he is really comfortable with as he fears his shoes slipping again and him falling down all the way to the ground in the process. Though in the next moment his fingers close around the fruit. Tsuna carefully plucks it and pulls it closer, inspecting it. The pear really is far larger than any pear had the right to be. Yet its skin was smooth and soft. Tsuna's stomach wanted him to just eat it already, but now that he had it in his hands, his brain managed to enforced the law that it was in fact the part of Tsuna's anatomy being in charge of the decision making. Now that he has the fruit he wants to bring it back, to complete the task. Not because he wants to be told his fortune, but because he wants to prove that he really is worthy of all the faith they have in him.

He somehow gets down the tree without breaking anything, though it is a close call. He forgot that getting up was always a lot more easier than climbing back down again. He put the fruit inside the coat's pocket which fortunately are just big enough. Therefore he has had both hands free, yet had to be careful about not knocking it against anything and risking the fruit to take damage. Now, walking back, he carries it in his hand again because inside the pocket it would always thump against his knee every two steps.

Tsuna has actually not the slightest idea where he is, which is at least partly because it really is dark now and he can't really see anything. He is glad he hasn't walked straight into a tree yet or fallen face-first onto the muddy ground beneath his feet after stumbling over some root. Though after only about ten minutes of walking he can make out the shine of a fire not too far away. Shortly after he's back, standing behind the smallest tent and looking bewildered. There is just no way he was so close to all of them the whole time without noticing it. He has no time to ponder very deeply about it though as the ghost has already taken note of his arrival. It's suddenly standing right next to Tsuna, startling him and nearly making him drop the fruit. It's like his mother's form has just grown right out of the earth beneath it, dropped out of the sky or shaped out of thin air. Maybe it just stood there the whole time and Tsuna was just too distracted to realize it. Taking in account that it is a ghost and this is Tsuna, all of those possibilities sound plausible.

"Is this what you wanted me to bring?" Tsuna asks. He is tired, thirsty and hungry. Everything hurts and he thinks he has at least a dozen splinters stuck in his fingers. He only wants to drink, eat, sleep, preferably in this chronology, but anything is fine with him as long as he doesn't have to keep standing here waiting for the ghost to finally get on with whatever it is going to say right now. It always speaks like it has all the time in the world - which it probably has being dead and all - but Tsuna has not and right now he is rather impatient and cranky.

"Yes it is. Now -," that has been enough for Tsuna to hear. He already holds the pear out to the ghost, waiting for it to take it already. It reaches out, but then instead of actually taking it, it only puts his mother's hands on it and when it pulls them away again, Tsuna has seven equally big slices of pear in his own hands. Like nothing has happened it keeps on speaking, "- all of you have to eat a piece of it. Then the second task will be considered fulfilled."

Tsuna is very nearly ready to just put one of the slices in his mouth because it is food and he is hungry, but then he remembers that he still doesn't trust the ghost and hesitates.

"Let me try it for you, Tenth," he hears Gokudera say. When did he even come over here? Looking around him Tsuna notices that all of his friends are now standing around him, eying the pieces of fruit more of less warily. That he hasn't noticed them before really tells him something about his tiredness.

Tsuna dodges the hand reaching out for the fruit and proclaims, "It could be poisonous, Gokudera-kun!"

"Haha, that's why he wants to know if it is before you eat it, Tsuna," he barely avoids Yamamoto taking one of the slices.

"If it really is poisonous, no one of you should it it," Kyoko says somewhere behind them, but Tsuna is too busy trying to keep the pear away from both Yamamoto and Gokudera to really listen to her. He's far too slow and too tired, but somehow he isn't doing all that badly. Until Lambo unexpectedly jumps up from behind him and stuffs one of the slices into his moth. Everyone of them freezes in their motions except for the small boy who is munching happily. They watch in horror as he swallows.

"Yummy! Lambo-san wants to have more! Or candy!"

"As the stupid cow hasn't dropped dead yet, it probably isn't all that dangerous." Some part of Tsuna's brain complains about it probably being a slowly acting poison but Gokudera has already bitten into another slice of pear. When Tsuna looks down at his hand, only one single part is left. Without thinking about it anymore, he puts it into his mouth and chews. Like he expected it it is very juicy. It tastes really sweet, nearly disgustingly so, but somewhat bitter at the same time. All in all Tsuna still has to say that he likes the taste a lot. After he has swallowed even the last drop of the pear juice sticking to his hands, Tsuna craves for more of it. He knows he'll probably never have the chance to eat something like that again. It makes him a bit sad and now he feels stupid about being afraid of such a wonderful fruit being poisonous.

"Your second task is fulfilled." Tsuna startles at hearing his mother's voice. He had forgotten all about the ghost standing right next to him. "Your next quest awaits you tomorrow. Make sure you rest well."

Tsuna knows he doesn't like anything better right now than following the ghost's recommendation.

* * *

He wakes up when small, cold feet collide with his left shoulder. Really, really cold feet.

Tsuna blinks his eyes open. Everything around him is still dark and it takes him a moment to remember where he actually is. It comes all back in a rush along with the memories of yesterday and the day before when little toes that feel like soft ice cubes are set against his collarbone. Tsuna squeaks, which makes Lambo shout out in surprise who is actually attached to the cold feet with the equally cold toes. Instantly there's a sword pointed at his forehead which he can actually see because of the many small flames dancing around all kinds of explosives.

"Nothing happened! Lambo just surprised me! Really, Gokudera, it's okay. Please don't let the tent explode, it's only borrowed!"

After they're all settled down again, Tsuna feels wide awake. Fortunately noting got sliced to death or blown into tiny pieces; though Gokudera's sleeping bag has now a ugly looking brand mark where he put one of his last bombs out before it would explode. The reason for this uproar and for Gokudera still cursing under his breath, lies wrapped into Tsuna's blanket on his lap and is asleep again. Tsuna envies him for it, as he knows he has to sleep, yet can't. He really hopes Lambo's nightmares will stop soon. The child has had red, puffy eyes when telling him about what had happened this time and Tsuna really wishes for him to be able to sleep peacefully again.

"I'll go look after I-Pin," Gokudera murmurs standing up and leaving the tent. Tsuna can see the light of a cigarette getting lit through the thin layer of their tent. He catches a bit of the cigarette's smell before Gokudera's shadow moves away to the little tent next to theirs. Next to him Yamamoto yawns which makes Tsuna yawn along.

"I really hope the ghost doesn't turn up too early tomorrow. I want to sleep in for once."

"Well, it didn't say you had to do everything it told you to right away." They both know Tsuna wouldn't keep the ghost waiting though. He's too afraid what it might do to them if he did.

"So what exactly did you do the whole time I was away?"

"Well, it was rather strange waiting for you not knowing if you were okay or if you would return, but you know the deal. There was no way we could see what exactly you were doing though and it made us all antsy, I guess. Kyoko came up with the idea to cook together to give us something to do and you something warm to eat when you came back. It was rather funny actually. You know how Gokudera is a disaster in the kitchen? It gets even worse when he gets distracted. He somehow produced an undefinable brown mass that no one dared to touch. Haru threw it away when he wasn't looking and then told him she already put it into the stew."

As usual, Gokudera appears in just the right moment to hear everything to be insulted. He only pushes his head into the tent though. "They were carrots, you idiot! And I should have known that that woman was lying to me. Now the next time she tries to do something for the Tenth I'll make sure it lands in the trash as well..."

"You know some weird kind of carrots, Gokudera. I never heard of brown ones before."

"They were orange!" Gokudera shouts, but remembers at the last moment that he is supposed to be quiet, so it sounds strangled and somehow not healthy at all. Lambo only shifts around a bit, but doesn't wake up again. Yamamoto probably only bites his tongue to avoid Lambo from really getting thrown out of his sleep by a screaming Gokudera. Tsuna is rather glad for it as Lambo has a tiny smile on his face and for once having a nice dream and not some strange nightmare.

"Anyway," Gokudera says that with a venomous look at Yamamoto, "It's getting even colder outside. Definitely colder than last night. I-Pin woke up when I came looking after her. She'll sleep here as well, if that's okay with you Tenth?", Tsuna nods even before Gokudera can make an inquiring pause, "It's far too cold for her to sleep alone in that little tent. I'll just help her carry her and the cow's sleeping bags and blankets over here," after that Gokudera's head disappears again. Tsuna stares after it for a while, wondering what exactly they had been talking about.

"So. Uhm... The ghost? Did it do anything?"

"Not really. But I think it does something to your brain. Haha, that sounds a bit mad," Yamamoto's grinning, yet just now Tsuna had caught that serious look he usually only gets when picking up his sword. Shivers run down his spine just by thinking about what he has just heard.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's hard to explain and somewhat strange. Just. When the ghost is around I start to think about weird things, things I usually wouldn't think about, you know? When it gets closer it gets worse." Yamamoto pulls up his grin over the serious, thoughtful face Tsuna has just seen again, "Definitely strange, right?"

"It isn't all that unexpected that there are weird things going on in your brain. What surprises me more is that there actually really is something happening at all in there," Gokudera remarks while stepping inside again. He drops down on his own isolating mat, pulls off his jacket and moves under his warm covers again. I-Pin who walked in after Gokudera is now putting Lambo's sleeping bag with Tsuna's aid somehow around the boy without moving him too much. In the end they only zip it open and use it like another blanket to keep him warm. She then lies down herself on Tsuna's other side, next to Gokudera. Tsuna made sure to move Lambo between him and Yamamoto to avoid a disaster like the one having taken place this morning. He puts his blanket over her as well, this one being warmer than the one he had yesterday and fortunately also large enough to cover both of them. They sit in silence for a while and Tsuna feels I-Pin relaxing, her breath soon going deeply and evenly. The light of Yamamoto's torch moves in circles above their heads, but Tsuna is too far in his own thoughts to really notice it.

"I hope Kyoko and Haru are okay," he speaks at last when the quiet becomes too much to him and it is obvious that neither of them is getting any sleep yet except for the two children.

"They should be. They borrowed three of our blankets after all," Gokudera tells him, shifting around to look in his direction.

"Wait. That means we have only one left? So you two slept without one and let me have the last one?"

"Don't worry, Tsuna. It wasn't all that cold."

"I wasn't freezing at all, Tenth! As boss, the blanket rightfully belongs to you! And with the blankets out of the brats' tent we have enough blankets now anyway."

"But. You shouldn't have anyway. You shouldn't have to always think about me first before thinking about yourself. Both of you."

Gokudera protest, "But you're the Tenth!" just as Yamamoto tells him, "But your our friend, Tsuna." It's quiet after that. Yamamoto turns off the flashlight and it's completely dark around them again. He closes his eyes and mumbles, "You shouldn't have to anyway," before falling asleep. He barely registers one of them answering, but he can't understand as he's already slipping into his own dreams.

Tsuna wakes because something gets knocked against the back of his head. It's probably just Lambo kicking him in his sleep again, he thinks groggily, snuggling into his sleeping back and trying to fall asleep again. But then his forehead gets pushed against something solid and warm, which throws Tsuna off. Slowly opening his eyes he is surprised that he can't see anything. Well, he can see something, but whatever it is, it is far too close to his face to actually process what exactly it is. He tries to sit up, but finds that he can't do that either as all of his limbs seem to be tangled up. He can't even move his head as Lambo's foot is still pushed against it and holds him in place.

Tsuna manages to free one of his arms which had been in I-Pins grasp and pushes himself up a bit. The thing in front of his face has actually been Gokudera's. Flushing, Tsuna realizes how close they are right now. Despite starting out in different sleeping bags they somehow managed to make a clew out of their legs. Tsuna's second arm is still lying beneath I-Pin's head who has ended up squished between them and he can't feel it anymore anymore or he would have noticed that Gokudera's fingers are splayed over his wrist right now or that his hand is pushed against Gokudera's chest. If he could, he would be able to feel Gokudera's heart beat.

Tsuna is rather glad that I-Pin hasn't woken yet. He would probably have to throw her out or risk the whole tent exploding along with her. He doesn't dare to move yet. Though he still shifts a little bit to give I-Pin more room. He tries to stay awake, outside it is already starting to get brighter, but his eyes fall closed soon anyway. He dreams of white birds with equally white flowers in their beaks, but when he wakes up again - this time because Yamamoto tells him to wake up before any of the others do and laughs at him as he embarrassedly tries to disentangle himself again - all he remembers is that it had been a rather nice dream.

* * *

"Now for your next task you simply have to cross this bridge."

Tsuna doesn't think there's anything simple about that. They're all standing on the top of a rather high cliff from which an old, worn looking rope bridge Tsuna wouldn't ever have thought of even setting one foot on, let along walking over. It also makes him wonder about their current location as he can't remember about actually having to walk upwards or anything else explaining the height they are currently at. He doesn't even dare to look down to see how deep he could be falling. He really wishes now that he had been allowed to bring his gloves and his dying-will pills. Carefully taking a step forward, he pulls the cloak tighter around himself.

"Lambo-san wants to go as well!"

As he himself would probably have thrown himself right off the cliff trying to grab Lambo, Tsuna is really glad Gokudera has managed it before the boy could have stepped on the first wooden board of the bridge's footpath and quite possibly broken right through it.

"Let Lambo-san go, Stupidera!" He is struggling and trying to break out of the hold Gokudera has on him, but he hasn't pulled any grenades out yet, which is rather fortunate in Tsuna' opinion.

"Now, Lambo, please listen to me," Tsuna tries to sound calm and serious, not as scared as he feels at the moment. It somehow seems to be working; Lambo quiets down and actually looks at him without wriggling around too much. "You know the ghost said I can't take anyone with me, so I need you to stay here. It's really important. While I'm away I trust you to protect everyone and make sure no one falls down accidentally, okay?"

Those wide big eyes stare at him for a while and Tsuna isn't really sure if Lambo actually understood what he just said, but then he declares loudly, "I'm the brave Lambo-san! I'll protect everyone!" Gokudera rolls his eyes as he puts Lambo down and Haru just smiles when Lambo jumps over to her to berate her about not going too close to the cliff because it was very dangerous and he had to look out for her and everyone else. I-Pin looks a bit put out about not getting such an important task herself, but before Tsuna can even think about how to somehow comfort her, Kyoko bends down and whispers something in her ear that sounds a lot like "Someone still has to make sure he doesn't hurt himself.", so he guesses it should be okay. He catches Yamamoto's grin at their antics and smiles back, but it most likely doesn't come out all that convincing.

When he turns around to the cliff he is shocked for a short moment because he somehow managed to forget all about the ghost's presence. Swallowing against the lump that has taken up residence in his throat he carefully steps over the first wooden board which already has a rather large crack running through its middle. He moves only slowly forwards grasping tightly at the ropes on either side of him, the whole bridge swaying with every step he takes. He's lucky that he doesn't get seasick all that easily.

He's about four meters away from the others when suddenly the wind around him picks up in velocity rather heavily and he has to stay rooted holding onto the ropes as hard as possible as the bridge gets thrown to the right. He can hear the others gasp and shout out in fear behind him, but he manages to straighten up and move forward again as the wind subsides a bit. Actually having to look down to know on stepping on which boards is safe and on which isn't, doesn't make this whole thing any easier, though Tsuna tries to concentrate only on the wood, not on the ground far below him.

Five steps on and he can still hear Gokudera's muttered mantra of "You can do it, Tenth"s, which is a bit strange all things considered, though he doesn't mind it all that much. At least it helps him set a rhythm of walking without faltering and disrupting the swaying of the bridge any more than necessary or giving it more momentum. Seven more steps and the wind picks up again, though this time it isn't as bad as the first gust and Tsuna can quickly adjust, skipping one rather worn looking board and stepping to the next instead. Moving gets only harder now with the wind catching and tearing at his cloak, yet he doesn't dare to let go of the rope with even one hand to adjust it.

When he finally reaches the middle of the bridge, the mantra he has somehow grown accustomed to already stops. Instead he can hear Gokudera course and Kyoko cry out in fear before the bridge sacks dangerously below his feat before steadying itself again. Tsuna can't help but turn around, though it makes him stumble and nearly break through a wooden plank with his left foot. His eyes are watery because of the cold air hitting his face for the whole time, but he can see what happened anyway. One of the two poles on which the ropes holding the whole bridge together are fastened somehow has slackened and is now in danger of breaking free completely. Tsuna doesn't have to think about if everything will get taken down with it, more about how long it will take. Kyoko and Gokudera have a good grasp on it though at the moment, successfully keeping him from falling to his death. Though the pole still has been moved forwards a bit, putting far more weight on the second pole and Tsuna can feel the bridge groaning just as Yamamoto and Haru hasten to get a good grip on it.

Tsuna gets thrown out of his stupor by Kyoko's gasped, "My feet are slipping," and barely makes out Lambo and I-Pin lunging forward to help her stay upright, before turning back around. He knows that if he doesn't hurry, if the weight they have to carry doesn't lessen quickly, they'll all get pulled into the abyss. And it will be only his fault.

He doesn't even know how he manages to cross the other half of the bridge this fast, his heart hammering loudly in his chest, the wind howling around him and yet he still can hear what the others are shouting from the distance.

He remembers contemplating about just jumping off himself to save the others as he's now safely on the other side, desperately screaming over all the noise, "Let go everyone! I'm fine! Don't die on me now!"

Tsuna doesn't even wonder about how he can hear Kyoko's quiet, relieved "He did it, he's safe," like she was standing right next to him just as Haru shouts, "Gokudera-san you idiot! You and Kyoko can't hold it any longer! Let go!". He nearly screams in frustration like she does when Gokudera doesn't do that in that instant, but tells them, "We have to let go at the same time, stupid woman! Or else both of you will get pulled down!"

"Then everyone! Let all go right now!" Tsuna doesn't think if it's possible that his voice carries that far, though he worries it isn't, but then all of them simply do what he told them. The bridge falls in a deafening rattle, its weight managing to rip out the slackened pole, the one Yamamoto and Haru had been holding as well as the two securing the bridge on the side Tsuna is standing now. He jumps back in fear the ground may collapse, his legs wobbly, now stumbling over themselves and giving out from under him. Sitting he waits for the racket signaling the ropes and wooden boards hitting the ground. It never comes though, instead it's suddenly completely quiet again. The wind stops howling, there's no noise of falling planks hitting together and Tsuna is so surprised he holds his breath, not daring to take the next one. He looks over the cutting at the others only to find that it has vanished. There are no cliffs, instead a not all that big clearing surrounded by bushes and trees, the forest Tsuna realizes. They seem to be as confused as he is at the not ten meters of even grassland separating them.

When Haru is the first to run over to him and throw her arms around him, Tsuna suddenly notices that this is the very same clearing they have been at just yesterday. He pats her back lightly when she sobs into his shirt. He can see how relieved all of them are, Kyoko now sitting next to him, trying to comfort Haru as well as I-Pin nearly crying herself. Lambo clings to his arm which isn't around Haru, while Yamamoto and Gokudera stand behind all of them, both looking at the ground suspiciously as if it could open again any second now. Yamamoto ruffles his hair and for once Gokudera doesn't say anything about the behavior of all of them, though he is already at his third cigarette in the only five minutes they have been sitting here up to now. All in all Tsuna does feel a bit awkward squished between so many people, but it's alright. Like this he can make sure nothing happened to them either. Haru has stopped crying and is only hugging him for a moment longer before pulling away, scrubbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

Tsuna fears that his next task will get even more dangerous, that someone really could be hurt. But right now he doesn't want to think about it, just wants to sit here with his friends and believe that everything will turn out just fine.

* * *

Arriving back at their camp, Tsuna really is glad this all will be over soon. While walking back, Tsuna' legs have been still feeling rather unstable and he had to be careful not to fall over his own two feet. The ghost had told them that the final task would have to take place where they met the first time, so they are now where it began.

Tsuna can see the ghost talk to Gokudera and hand him some kind of golden cup. Gokudera nods and turns around, yet before he leaves he catches Tsuna's questioning gaze and shouts over to him, "I'll just get some water, Tenth! I'll hurry so it won't be long!" Then he walks away with quick strides. Tsuna slumps down onto the large stone he had been sitting the first afternoon they have spent in this forest, resting his legs. Kyoko sits down next to him after a moment while Yamamoto tries to start a new bonfire to keep them warm and Haru tells Lambo and I-Pin a story to keep them occupied. It's a story about a beautiful princess looking for her one true love, though when she finds the prince of her heart, she gets kidnapped by an evil witch whose eyes shot beams of lightning (which has been Lambo's idea, obviously). Tsuna listens with one ear as well to keep his mind from waiting and wondering if this was some kind of ploy of the ghost to get Gokudera alone and rip his limbs off to suck his blood out of them. Therefore Tsuna keeps watching the ghost at the same time as checking if Gokudera is returning yet.

"Are you feeling alright, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko looks at him worriedly, pushing some of her hair out of her face which the wind has put there just now. Tsuna shakes his head and smiles at her reassuringly.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired after all of this." She doesn't look convinced at all, mustering his face. Tsuna isn't quite sure what she finds there or what she's searching for in the first place. Tsuna's own eyes keep slipping into the direction Gokudera has disappeared though, unable to focus on her worried glances. He notices that he's starting to fidget, so he tries to stop shifting around too much. Next to him Kyoko nods, clearly not believing him, but letting it slide.

In Haru's story the witch just evolves into a giant dragon who likes dumplings but also human meat and now wants to eat the fair prince. But the prince can beat it with a hit over the head with a branch and enough force that the prince would have gotten a home run had it been a baseball game and not a fight with a dragon. (The fire is burning now and Yamamoto has joined the telling fairy tales group.) The ghost is standing where it has been for the whole time, not even moving once. Gokudera still isn't back. The river isn't even all that far away.

"I'm really glad I could come along," Kyoko proclaims suddenly. Tsuna flickering his gaze from the trees to the ghost and back to settle on her instead. "I mean, this really is fun - if you forget about the ghost and the tasks. I like spending time with all of you. So I really am happy to be here right now."

"Even though you nearly fell from a cliff because of me?" Tsuna can't help but ask. He has always tried to keep Kyoko, Haru, I-Pin and even Lambo as his lightning guardian out of the danger that is the mafia. He couldn't believe Kyoko would like to stay anyway. He himself definitely would be more happy about being as far away from any mafia business as possible; which is unfortunately not all that far as future boss of the Vongola Famiglia.

"Yeah. Even though we nearly fell from a cliff. Though if you ask me, I think the ghost wouldn't have let us really die. It is supposed to be kind to humans, right? And that cliff was only imaginary anyway." Tsuna hadn't really thought about it that way. Yet looking back over to where his mother's form was standing, he somehow doubts that the ghost would really have saved them. Something about it just rubs him the wrong way, Tsuna guesses. "It even was a somehow exciting experience, though in a rather creepy way, and I'm really glad I could help you, Tsuna-kun. Without the aid of Haru-chan and me, Yamamoto-kun and Gokudera-kun most likely wouldn't have been able to hold you, so I think it was a good choice, tagging along."

"Well, I'm also glad you came, Kyoko-chan. I just - I would have liked it if you two hadn't get mixed up in all this."

"Maybe we could go camping again sometime. Without looking for any ghosts, I mean."

"Yeah. And sometime it isn't quite as cold."

Kyoko laughs. "I would like that. Now I'm already excited for our next camping trip!" Tsuna finds himself joining in her laughter as well. It sounds more strained than hers as fear is still eating away on him, yet somehow he now feels a bit better about their whole situation than before.

When Gokudera finally returns the princess is just about to break the magic mirror her beloved has been trapped in. Tsuna lets out a relieved breath as he watches Gokudera come closer who currently keeps looking at the cup in his hands, bemused.

"I'm so sorry it took me so long, Tenth!"

"It's okay, Gokudera-kun. Don't worry about it." It is more than okay as long as Gokudera isn't hurt in any form in Tsuna's opinion and as it seems, nothing bad had happened to his storm guardian. Tsuna had to remember asking about it later.

"Now for your final task. Take this goblet and be careful not to spill anything." The problem is that if you tell Tsuna something like that it is most likely that he can't manage to do exactly as you told him. Proving this point true, Tsuna nearly drops the cup when reaching out to take it from Gokudera's grasp. Luckily Gokudera seems to remember about his clumsiness and steadies it long enough for Tsuna to overcome his sudden shaking, pulling his own hands only away when he's absolutely sure he won't drop it as soon as he lets go. Tsuna's face is hot with embarrassment.

From up close, Tsuna can see the little blue gems edged onto the gold, building a band around the top of it. They are of such a deep blue Tsuna is reminded instantly of the sea, but when he looks closer it seems like there is a red spot dancing in each of them. When he blinks the red color is gone though. Shaking his head he looks at the ghost again, waiting for further instructions on what to do. He probably has to drink whatever it is that is inside the goblet now. Somehow Tsuna doubts it's just simple water. When the ghost speaks, it is nothing the Tsuna has expected though.

"Now you put it onto your head, lift one of your feet from the earth and stay like that for at least five minutes. Again, be sure not to spill any of the water inside the goblet."

All of them stare at the ghost like it just grew a second head, struck speechless. And here Tsuna had feared this was going to be difficult and dangerous. This — this is simple. This is easy.

"That's just plainly mean! Haru won't stand for it!" Tsuna thinks it probably really isn't after a near death experience and with his legs still feeling rather weak, though after sitting down for a bit they are already a lot better. He shakes his head at her nonetheless. It takes some tries to get it to stand on his head properly, which is mainly because of his hair, but in the end it now also helps stopping the goblet from falling over. Tsuna slowly lifts his left leg away from the ground, holding his balance with his arms. It's a bit of a struggle to stay like this, but Reborn had him doing by far worse. Tsuna really thinks he can do this as long as nothing suddenly crawls out of the water over his head and starts poking out his eyes. After everything that has happened so far, he even expects something horrible to happen any moment now.

But then the five minutes are over and Tsuna is allowed to put his foot down again and take the goblet off of his head. When the ghost declares the last task to be fulfilled, the girls start cheering, tackling him in a group hug along with Lambo and Yamamoto. Tsuna finds they even managed to push Gokudera into it as well - he can hear him grumble about it and cheer along with them at the same time, his breath tickling his ear. He has been numb for the first moments, too shocked that this was it, this had been really everything he has to do, no monsters, no acid, no ground swallowing him up suddenly. Yet now, in this mass of people, he can laugh along and feel relieved and happy. When the ghost begins to talk again they disentangle a bit reluctantly.

"Now for your fortune," Tsuna is a bit too slow to tell it that he really doesn't want to know about it as it is already talking on, paying his interruption ("Uh- wait just a moment!") no mind at all, "you have to meet me tomorrow not too far from here. You have to bring one of them with you; only one. There's a last thing you have to do. You'll find me if you want to." And it was gone before any of them could say another word. This time really just disappearing into thin air.

* * *

"How can this be fair?!" Haru complains for the umpteenth time already. They're sitting around the bonfire, waiting for the sun to set. She's been stuffing herself with marshmallows until Kyoko took the bag away from her.

"It isn't," Kyoko tells her again.

Tsuna has the bad feeling that when they meet with the ghost tomorrow something really terrifying will happen, but this time it isn't just a fear, a thought, this time he can feel it with every bone. Nothing good will come of seeing that ghost again, though Tsuna can bet that avoiding it and running away also isn't an option anymore. Fear spreads through his body, taking hold of every part of him. He doesn't want any of them to get hurt - he can hear Yamamoto's and Gokudera's discussion about who should go with him even though they really try to keep quiet; Gokudera clenching his fist and biting his lip hard every time he want to shout. They clearly try to at least take the burden of making the decision himself off of his shoulders. Though that isn't necessary anymore. He has made a decision all by himself and he'll stick to it. He just can't risk any of this; sitting together like this, talking to each other or just quietly listening to everyone around him, laughing together, watching out for each other. For a really long time Tsuna hadn't had any friends. Now he's not going to risk hurting any of them just because of some stupid ghost.

"I think I'll go to sleep early today," Tsuna smiles carefully at all of them when he stands up. He knows he's bad at lying to any of them, but they probably just think he's stressed out or really tired after the last two days, so everyone just lets it go, telling him a good night. Tsuna feels a tad bit bad about just doing this without talking to any of them about it, but he knows all of them would stop him if he confined in them about this.

He slips into the tent, not bothering to change into his sleeping clothes or lying properly in his sleeping back. He only pulls a blanket over himself. He puts the cloak under his head and hides a torchlight with it as well. Now Tsuna only has to wait for it to get dark and for the others to go to sleep.

Later he is a bit amazed at himself for being able to get out of the tent without waking anyone up or stumbling over anything in the dark. He only dares to actually use the torchlight when he's well away from the tents and hidden behind bushes and trees. At one time he had thought Yamamoto had been looking straight at him when he was putting the cloak on, but that had only been his imagination apparently, or else he wouldn't be walking alone through the forest.

The ghost had told them that he would be able to find it if he wanted to. But he has already walking for at least half an hour and he can't see it anywhere. He doesn't want to use the torchlight too much, as he fears the batteries will run out before he is able to get back to the others again. On the other hand, maybe he won't have to bother about the way back at all.

Tsuna can suddenly hear something snapping behind him and spins around. He promptly comes face to face with the ghost. Clenching his hands, Tsuna wills himself to stop from jumping back in shock. He doesn't have anything to fear, he tells himself. The ghost won't eat him. If he thinks it often enough, maybe Tsuna will start believing it. Though he does feel a bit surer because one of his hand is now wrapped around the little flask with his dying will pills in it. Gokudera had given it along with his X-gloves back to him as soon as the ghost had vanished after the last task and the shock about it's declaration had started to lift again.

"You were looking for me," it doesn't ask, it states.

"Yes. I wanted to tell you that I don't want to know anything about my fortune."

"I'm sorry, but that isn't anything I have to consider," it steps closer to him and Tsuna automatically takes a step backwards, "as it is no business of mine."

Before Tsuna can say anything to that, there is some rustling in the bushes next to them and suddenly Gokudera appears, pushing branches and leaves out of his way. "Tenth! I searched everywhere for you!" Then he seems to actually take in the scene in front of him. "You! Ghost! Get away from the Tenth!" He has already a couple of explosives in his hands and is just trying to light them when the ghost moves. Well, Tsuna doesn't see it move, it just suddenly isn't where it was just a moment before, instead it is now standing right in front of Gokudera.

Tsuna shouts and throws the cap of the little flask off, gloves already on his hands. Yet he can't do anything but watch as Gokudera gets only a slight pat on the head, the ghost barely touching him with two fingers. Tsuna realizes this is the first time it touched any of them and sees in horror Gokudera just falling down to the ground, unmoving. He forgets about the pills and his gloves and everything else as he rushes over to turn him onto the back, to make sure he's still breathing. When Tsuna notes that he is, he tries waking him up, shaking his shoulders, slapping him lightly on the face, which probably isn't all that gently in the state of near mystery Tsuna is currently in.

"He's only sleeping. Dreaming. But you won't be able to wake him up just like that," the ghost remarks, which is when Tsuna remembers about it being there at all. (A part of his brain tells him that Reborn will have his head if he ever got wind of him turning his back on his enemy during a fight and actually completely forgetting about it's existence.)

His fingers are already pulling out a pill when he simply asks, "Why?" Though he doesn't expect a real answer. He usually doesn't get one if he ever asks this specific question.

"A Fortune Ghost always judges the person who first sees through its disguise." Tsuna stops in his movement. The dying-will pill resting against his lips.

"Wait. What?" It take a moment longer for his brain to actually catch up with the conversation, "So Gokudera-kun was the one being judged all along?"

The ghost nods. Tsuna doesn't understand. All those things he had to do; climbing on trees, nearly falling to death, having a goblet of water put on his head for crying out loud. Now it tells him everything has been just for its own entertainment? If Gokudera was the one who somehow had to prove himself, why is he now lying there unconsciously? It just doesn't add up. And Gokudera lies there on the cold forest floor being unconscious, which just doesn't help the state his mind is currently in. Tsuna might just be freaking out. A tiny bit. Which is obviously the biggest understatement he has ever made.

Yet before he can utter even one question, demand or just a simple shout to curse the ghost to hell and back, it drones on, "When he wakes up again, you have to tell him exactly what I'm going to tell you now. '_After the most precious is lost, it also will return again_.' That is the fortune I can foresee for him."

Tsuna has stopped really listening - let alone understanding - what the ghost tells him after the 'wakes up again' part. "He'll wake up?"

"It wouldn't make any sense to tell him fortune and then have him dying, now would it?" The ghost sounds the tiniest bit annoyed, which is the most emotion it showed since they have met it. The fact that it actually can show emotion at all throws Tsuna off for a short moment, but he is still too relieved that nothing bad will happen to Gokudera to really care about anything else. One question is still bugging him though.

"But. But why would you knock him out or whatever you did if you have no intention of hurting him. It makes no sense to have him sleep when you want to tell him his fortune."

"He needs that dream to understand his fortune." Which still doesn't make any sense, but maybe ghostly things just have to be so incomprehensible. Tsuna doesn't really want to think about it anymore. Gokudera is going to be fine and they all can go home and no one is really hurt. That counts as a good outcome in Tsuna's book. Even if they haven't really gained anything. "Don't forget to tell him what I said about it to you." Tsuna wants to ask to repeat what it said as he hadn't really paid attention to its rambling at that time, but the ghost suddenly has vanished.

Gokudera moves a bit in his sleep and Tsuna slowly starts freaking out again, because he's lying there on the cold, wet forest ground and Tsuna has now idea when he'll wake up again. After debating with himself for a short while about staying and watching over Gokudera or going back to get help, the rationally thinking part of his brain pipes up. Its input is greatly appreciated.

Tsuna swallows the pill he still holds in his hand.

* * *

Tsuna never gets around to tell Gokudera anything about his last conversation with the ghost and apologize for only remembering half of what it said about Gokudera's fortune. There was something about an important thing coming back, Tsuna thinks but he isn't too sure. As it turns out, Gokudera seems to not be able to remember anything of the events that happened in that last night in the forest and every time Tsuna tries to speak to him about it, something different keeps them from really talking about it.

Two days after all of them returned home, Gokudera complains that he can't find his favorite lighter anymore. A week after that it turns up again. Gokudera is really happy when he finds it under Tsuna's bed. It makes Tsuna wonder why Gokudera even thought of looking there as much as it makes him think about how exactly it got there in the first place.

In conclusion, Tsuna thinks that ghosts and fortune telling really aren't what they are made out to be and forgets about the whole event again, being distracted by assassination attempts, Reborn and the general mayhem taking place in his life. As usual, everything goes back to normal. Well, normal for the standards of a future mafia boss, anyway.


End file.
